Review Roundup: THE COLOR PURPLE Movie Musical Starring Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks & More; What Did the Critics Think?

The Color Purple arrives in theaters on December 25. Read the reviews before the film premieres!

The film stars Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks reprising the roles that they previously played on Broadway. Joining them are Taraji P. Henson, Halle Bailey, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, David Alan Grier, H.E.R., Ciara, Jon Batiste, Louis Gossett Jr., Tamela Mann, Deon Cole, Stephen Hill, Terrence J. Smith, Tiffany Elle Burgess, Aba Arthur, Elizabeth Marvel, and more.

This bold new musical take on the beloved classic is directed by Blitz Bazawule (“Black Is King,” “The Burial of Kojo”) and produced by Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders and Quincy Jones.

The screenplay is by Marcus Gardley (“Maid,” “The Chi”), based on the novel by Alice Walker and based on the musical stage play, book (of the musical stage play) by Marsha Norman, music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. Fresh off starring in Disney's The Little Mermaid, Bailey also co-wrote a song for the film.

Read the first official reviews for the film below. Check back as this roundup is updated live as more reviews continue to roll in.

---

Alissa Wilkinson, The New York Times: "Even better, for the first two hours, it’s absorbing: big song-and-dance numbers and emotional set pieces, dynamic performances from everyone, and a feeling of reverence for the story and what it’s meant for 40 years give it gravitas and heart. I found myself wishing (as I often do with contemporary movie-musicals) that the editing would slow down and let me actually watch the dancers. But on the whole, I was gripped."

Pete Hammond, Deadline: "Didn’t think there was a need for another take on The Color Purple? Think again. Here it is alternately rousing, moving, toe tapping, emotional, rich, and satisfying. It also helps to have a cast that not only knocks it out of the park , but brings new heart to something we only thought we knew so well."

Peter Debruge, Variety: "Barrino’s soul-felt R&B sensibility lends itself to the role, and the patience it took to reach this point mirrors Celie’s long path to finding herself. Barrino may have embodied the character on Broadway 15 years earlier, but the moment is now right, and everyone else in the terrific ensemble seems to have fallen into place around that choice."

David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter: "While Bazawule and fellow executive music producers Baxter and Bray honor the musical’s stylistic mix of gospel, pop, R&B, blues, jazz and Broadway show tunes, there’s also a welcome contemporary flavor to some of the numbers here, notably 'Keep It Movin’,' led by Bailey’s young Nettie in gorgeous voice."

Caryn James, BBC: "The start and end of the film are rousing in the manner of Broadway opening and closing numbers, and the film never goes too long without a song backed by lush orchestrations. But there is also kinetic camerawork that follows the actors, and enough overhead shots so that it seems Bazawule is intent on proving that he's making a movie, not filming a stage show."

Robbie Collin, Telegraph: "Samuel Bazawule’s adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel – adapted in turn for the screen from the 2005 musical stage show – is not subtle ... This is an all-singing, all-sobbing weepie with sequins, featuring comedy, uproarious choreography, and a suite of soul R&B and gospel numbers that will have you bopping along in your seat."

Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: "This is a capital-M Musical, complete with big songs and enormous dance numbers and larger-than-life emotions — and it’s often irresistibly exhilarating, as the best musicals can be. I haven’t seen the stage version of “The Color Purple,” but I can absolutely imagine what an impact it would have on an audience, how Miss Celie’s journey would sweep you up and carry you to a higher, more joyful place. That’s basically what happens here: Bazawule slowly but surely lifts us up, letting us soar with the cast by the end."

Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly: "It’s frustrating, then, that film is perhaps not the best medium for these numbers, particularly her 11 o’clock showstopper, “I’m Here.” The refined studio recording can’t match the timbre or electric energy of hearing that number delivered live, instead introducing an element of restraint to the vocals that belies the emotional catharsis of the moment."

Carla Renata, The Wrap: "Reprising her Tony nominated role as Sofia, Danielle Brooks straddles humor and drama with meticulous precision, stealing every scene. Her powerful jail cell performance and dinner table scene, alongside many poignant moments with Corey Hawkins as her husband, Harpo, and her powerful show-stopping rendition of “Hell No” will make her hard to ignore this awards season."

Ross Bonaime, The Wrap: "Both Brooks and Henson are giving performances that put their own spin on these characters in truly wonderful ways. Brooks had big shoes to fill, portraying a role originally played by Oprah Winfrey, but Brooks’ attitude and sense of humor makes her the primary scene-stealer in this already impressive cast. Similarly, Henson’s Shug is a character that lives in the spotlight, and Henson knows exactly how to be the center of attention in a way that makes her feel like a celebration personified."

Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian: "There is warmth and vehemence in this movie, especially in the big ensemble numbers to which it gravitates so naturally, but it is less successful in the solo scenes and the evocation of loneliness and suppressed despair. This film, in fact, does the suppressing for us. Yet there’s no doubting the sledgehammer force of Barrino, Henson and Brooks as the three women who win out."

Aisha Harris, NPR: "While both previous iterations employed levity in their own ways (and Spielberg and screenwriter Menno Meyjes, both being white, were taken to task for it, accused of making the Black men characters out to be buffoons), Bazawule's take is decidedly glossier and more cheerful. When this works, it works. His aesthetic eye is vivid and colorful, opening up Celie's world with energetic ensemble musical numbers which give a sense of a bustling Black community that exists beyond her suffocating life with Mister and his rambunctious kids."

---

Watch the trailer for The Color Purple here:

To post a comment, you must register and login.

Test and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia?	Play the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank!
How well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends.	Can you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day!